14 February 2025

I hardly make any new Teddies of my own these days, but I simply could not NOT make one this month for a very special occasion - my stepdaughter's wedding (on St. Valentine's Day!) I am therefore very pleased to introduce Elizabeth, a kind and tender bear who is always willing to offer help and support to others. Elizabeth is resourseful and very smart: she knows her times tables, and can name the capital cities of every country in Europe! Most importantly, she is very good with children of all ages, because she can invent all kinds of exciting games and tell all kinds of weird and wonderful stories.

11 February

I have had several very different Teddy Bear patients at my Hospital this month.

75-year-old Ted was showing his age and needed a lot of care. I cleaned and conditioned him, patched and mended all the holes, made him four new paw pads, replaced his joints, and completely re-stuffed him with new woodwool and kapok. He most certainly perked up once the course of treatment was over, and said he felt half his age)).

The other vintage Teddy, called Bear, had to go to hospital because he had somehow lost his head - but was otherwise in rude health. I reunited him with his head, and he seemed reasonaly pleased with the results.

My third patient, Charlie Bear, was probably the easiest of the three. All he needed was a good clean and a full re-stuffing, so he was in and out of hospital within a couple of days.

4 February

When Yellowy was admitted to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital, one would have struggled immediately to identify him as a bear. Once I have cleaned him, grafted some skin from his belly to patch his face, re-stuffed him with new polyfill, and embroidered his nose and smile, there was no longer any doubt about Yellowy's ursine identity. He put on his newly washed top and restitched pants, thanked me profusely and off he went to be reunited with his owner.

Another recent patient was unmistakably a donkey - part of the 1960s McCall's collection of Winnie the Pooh stuffed toys. He looked even sadder than usual on arrival to Hospital, having lost - no, not his tail but an eye and most of his mane. I gave Donkey a good clean and a full re-stuffing, plus two new eyes and a new mane, and I daresay he looked slightly less despondent when he said his Toodle-oo and ambled back home.

28 January

Teddy Edward, a lovely bear in his mid-60s, waited very patiently for his turn to be admitted to my Hospital.

I treated all the holes in his skin, fully re-stuffed him, embroidered his lost nose, smile and some claws, and, much to his owner's delight, replaced his broken growler with a new one. I also mended Teddy Edward's favourite trousers, which were of great sentimental value both to him and to his owner. Meanwhile at the Children's Ward, I had a very nervous young patient called Beepee (Baby Penguin). He only needed a quick fix to his tail, but, having never been to hospital before, he asked for his mum to stay with him. I had no objections. The operation went smoothly, and mother and child were soon happily reunited with their doting young owner.

13 January

The first patient treated at Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital this year was my grandson's red puppy, who had recently had an unfortunate encounter with another dog, ending up with no eyes or nose. He was lucky not to have suffered even greater damage, and he can now see and smell again, to the delight of his young owner.

I also had the pleasure of treating my first dear, none other than Bambi, aged 65 or so. The delicate creature had been loved to bits, so he required quite a lot of work. He too received new eyes to replace those he had long lost, and I also re-created the tiny red tongue and the tail that he had once had.

22 December 2024

Earlier this month, 65-year-old Jeremy was discharged from Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital following life-saving treatment. Jeremy had arrived fully dressed, and it was only when I took his clothes off that the full extent of his injuries became apparent. 

I mended all the holes, made him new paw pads and re-embroidered his nose. I also completely re-stuffed him, keeping him floppy and cuddly as requested by his owner - who had also asked me not to give him new eyes, as he was a constant bed companion to a little girl. When Jeremy was ready to go back home, his owner said he looked even better than she had hoped for.

Another one of this month's patients, Big Ted, was a more straighforward case. After a good gentle clean, he had all the holes and splits in his fur mended and the old repairs re-stitched. I gave him a full re-stuffing, and made him a new red bow tie, which he said made him feel very Christmassy!

Merry Christmas to you all!

6 December

Three very different soft toy Teddies were discharged from my Hospital in the last couple of weeks.

The largest, 40-something Ted Big, had never before left his owner's side, and had quite a few holes that needed mending. After a gentle clean, I tidied up his earlier repairs, gave him new stuffing (leaving a bit of his old stuffing inside him for sentimental reasons), and re-embroidered his nose and smile. His owner nearly cried with joy when she came to collect Ted Big and take him home.

Podgy was smiling rather ruefully when he was admitted, realising that he a long hospital stay ahead of him. I came to love him dearly while bringing him back into the shape that his owner remembered from long ago. With his new stuffing, a new button eye and re-embroidered nose, smile and eyebrows, Podgy looked very jovial, and was full of gratitude for the care he had received.

Teddy was tiny compared to the other two patients, and he was also the easiest of them. All he asked for - and received - was a patch on his right arm, and off he went back to his busy life in London.